Mixing tank for carbonated beverages



May 30, 1944. J. KAN'roR 2,350,044

MIXING TANK FOR CARBONATED BEVERAGES o'riginal Filed Aug. 2. 1941sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. JAMES /m/va/,

y. l. KANTOR MIXING TANK FOR CARBONATED BEVERAGES Original Filed Aug. 2,1941 May 30, 1944.

Patented May 30, 1944 `OFFICE MIXING TANK FOR CARBONATED j BEVERAGESYJames Kantor, Chicago, Ill., assignorto The Liquid CarbonioCorporation, Chicago, Ill.,`a corporation of Delaware Original`application Au 405,123. Divided and 5, 1942, Serial No. 425,618

gust 2, 1941, serial N o.V I this application `January 7 Claims. (Cl.259-24) The present invention relates to improvements in mixingapparatus primarily designed for mixing carbonated beverages prior tothe delivery'of the same to the container or to a machine for fillingthe containers.

Heretofore, it has been almost universal practice, in filling containerswith carbonated vbever age, to deliver to the container a predeterminedquantity of syrup and then lill in the container with the desired amountof carbonated water. After the container has thus been filled, thecontainer is agitated for the purpose loi" thoroughly mixing the syrupand water together.

In some instances, it has been found that it is more desirable topre-mix the syrup and car,

bonated water prior to the delivery of the same to the machine forfilling the container.

My present invention relates to a mixing machine for thus pre-mixing thesyrup and carbonated water, the apparatus including means for deliveringa measured quantity of syrup and a measured quantity of water to themixing chamber, so that the proportion of syrup and carbonated waterwill be maintained.

For the purpose of disclosing the invention, I have illustrated anembodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, of an apparatusembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2, 2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, of means for controlling theinflow of water.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, I provide a base Ihaving mounted thereon a suitable mixing container 2 which may be in theform of a suitable cylinder mounted on the base I and having its lowerend cooperating with the concave face 3 of the base I to provide a tank.This cylinder is preferably surrounded with insulating material 4 formaintaining the contents of the tank at the low temperature to which itis delivered to the tank. The top of the tank is closed by a top plate 5having provided therein an arcuate water inlet opening 6 which isconc'entrically arranged relative to the vertical axis of the tank 4 andan arcuate syrup inlet opening 1, smaller than the opening 6. Mountedabove and rotatable relatively to the top 5 is a control valve 8. Thiscontrol valve is provided with a series of valve openings 9 arrangedconcentrically to the axis of the valve and adapted, during theoperation of the valve, to coincide with the opening 6 in the top 5. Theopenings 9, in effect, constitute measuring cups for determining thequantity of `carbonated water delivered to the tank. The valve 8 is alsoprovided with arsecond series of arcuately arranged openings II) passingtherethrough and adapted to cooperate with the opening 1. These openingsID likewise constitute measuring cups for determining the properquantity of syrup to be delivered to the container. It is to be notedthat the measuring. cups I9 are considerablyrsmaller than the cups `9.Therelative size of the cups 9 and I0 determine the relative quantitiesof syrup and carbonated water to be delivered to the tank. For instance,in mixing coca cola, the proportions of the syrup to the carbonatedwater is that of six parts `water and one part syrup. Therefore, the cupopeningsA 9 would be sixtimes as largeas the cup openings I0. A

This valve operates beneath a chambered water and syrup receptacle I Iwhich may be cylindrical in form and may be bolted or otherwise securedto the head 5. Y A recess is formed by thel'annular flange I2constituting an extension of the side walls of the receptacle toaccommodate the valve 9, heretofore'described. This receptacle `isdivided into a water-receiving chamber I 3 anda syrup-receiving chamberI4 through a suitable center wall I5 and the receptacle is closed by atop or cover I6. The chamber I3 is adapted to be supplied withcarbonated water from aV suitable source of supply by an inlet pipe I'I.y This pipe I'I preferably is connected to a carbonator in which therefrigerated water is adapted to `be vthoroughly mixed with CO2 gas andthe chamber I3 isconnected by a pipe I8 to'the top of this carbonatorforthe purpose of returning to the carbonator any CO2 which may escape fromthe tank and chamber I3 during the mixing operation. The chamber M ofthe receptacle II vis supplied with syrup'through a suitable pipe I9which is connected to a source of syrup supply, and the top of thischamber is connected by'a by-pass 29 through a control valve 2l with thepipe I 8 vso that any CO2 escaping into'the top of the chamber I4 willbe delivered back to the carbonator, as is the case with the chamber I3.

The bottom of the chamber I3 is provided with an arcuate slot 22 adaptedto coincide with the measuring cups 9 in the valve 8 and thebottom ofthe chamber III is provided with an arcuate slot 23 adapted to cooperatewith the measuring cups Ill. It is to be noted, however, that the.receiving opening I in the top 5 is oppositely disposed relatively tothe slot 22 so that when the measuring cups 9 are in a'receivingposition relative to the chamber I3, the bottoms of these Aswitch 45.

cups will be closed by the top 5 and, likewise, when the receiving cupsIIJ are in receiving position relative to the chamber I4, their bottomswill be closed by the top 5, the relative cups being adapted todischarge only after. `the valve member has made a half revolution.

For rotating the valve member 8, I provide an axially disposed shaft 24which extends through a bearing 25 in the wall I5 and has keyed theretothe rotary valve member 8. This shaft 24 also projects into the tank 2and carries at its lower end an agitating paddle 26. The rshaft 24 isdriven by suitable pulley belt 21 connected with the drive pulley 28 ofan electric motor 29.

The valve 2 I, which includes a oat 38, controlling the movement of avalve member 3| adapted to control a vent opening 32 provides a meansfor controlling the inow of the syrup into the chamber I4. Due to thefact that the only vent for the chamber I4 is through the valve opening32,

Aif the syrup is delivered to the chamber I4 faster thangit is withdrawntherefrom, eventually the syrup in the chamber I4 will rise in the pipe20 into the valve 2|, raising the oat 38 to cause the valve 3l tosealthe opening 3'2. This closes Aany venting of the chamberV I4 and duetothe 'fact that there is rno escape of the air or gas from the top ofthe chamber, it is obvious that the inflow of thesyrup through the pipeI8 will be stopped.

A similar water control may be provided as illustrated in Fig. 3 for the'chamber I3. In the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, instead of havingthe chamber I3 connected directly by the pipe I9 with the top'of thecarbonator, I introduce into this line a control valve 33 provided witha float 34 controllinga Valve member 35 which, in turn, controlsthe'escape opening 36. It is obvious that, with a greater inflow ofwater into the chamber I'4 than a discharge therefrom, the

Water level will build up in the valve 33 until the float 34 is closed,thus preventing any venting of air or gas above the water in the chamberwhich, of course, will shut off the inflow of water into the chamberuntil a certain amount thereof has been withdrawn therefrom.

Thetrunk 2Y is provided with a gage glass 31 connected to the top andlbottom of the tank through inlet fittings 38 and 39. By this glass, theoperator can readily determine the level of Vthe contents of the tank.Furthermore. the fittings 38 and 39 are connected by flexible conduits40 andV 4I with a float member 42 mounted on a rotatable shaft 43 andcounter-balanced by the weighted arm 44. This shaft 43 controls acontrol When the water level in the tank reaches above a predeterminedpoint, sufcient water is delivered to the float member 42 to increasethe weight thereof sufficiently to overcome the counter-balancing weightand arm 44 thus rotating the shaft 43 to operate the switch 45 to shutoff not only the motor 29 but also the pump supplying syrup to thechamber I4 and the carbonator supplying water to the chamber I3 so thatfurther operation of the mixture is stopped until the mixture level inthe tank has been lowered.

' 'On the underside of the top 5 and beneath the discharge openings 6and 1, I provide an inverted cone baille 46 having a central dischargeopening ,41 which, in turn, discharges into a cup 48 mounted to rotatewith the shaft 24 and carried by said shaft. Also, carried by said shaftand disposed beneath the cup 48 is a disc-like baliie 49 onto which thecontents of the cup 48 is discharged through suitable discharge openingsin the cup 48.

The contents of the cup 48 is stirred or mixed through the means ofmixing blades 5I which project into the top of the cup and are securedon the underside of the cone-shaped baille 46. Therefore, as the Waterand syrup is delivered through the opening of the baille 48 into thecup, this water and syrup is stirred or mixed before it overflowsthrough the openings 50 and into the tank. After the mixture has beendeposited in the tank, it is further agitated and mixed bythe paddle 26.However, it is to be noted that due to the bale 49, the mixed syrup andwater is delivered down the sides of the tank 2 rather than directlyinto the path of the paddle.

The operation of the apparatus is obvious. Carbonated water, beingadmitted to the charnber i3, is delivered, during the rotation of thevalve 8, through the slot 22 into the measuring cups 8. As the valvemakes a half revolution, these measuring cups are brought intocoincidence with the opening 6 of the top 5 and the measured water thusdelivered to the tank 2. Likewise, the syrup in the chamber I4 isdelivered to the cups I8 through the opening 23 and when the valvemember 8 makes a half turn, these cups Il discharge through the openings'I so that with the constant rotation of the valve 8, there is acontinuous delivery of measured quantities of syrup and water into themixing tank wherein 'the syrup and water is thoroughly mixed to be Thisapplication is a division of my copending application Serial No.405,123, filed August 2, 1941.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a mixing apparatus, a mixing tank including a top havingconcentrically arranged openings therein, a water chamber arrangedalloye said top having a discharge opening in the bottom thereof, asyrup chamber arranged above said top having a discharge opening in thebottom thereof, said openings being arranged in concentric circles and arotary valve disposed between said tank top and the bottoms of saidwater and syrup chambers and having a measuring cup therein arranged,during the rotation thereof, to rst coincide with the discharge openingin said water chamber and then coincide with one of said concentricopenings in the top of said mixing tank, and a second measuring cup insaid valve arranged to, during the rotation of said valve, rst coincidewith the opening in said syrup chamber and then coincide with the othervmeasuring cup and a syrup measuring cup adapted, during its rotation,to respectively receive water and syrup from the said chambers anddeliver the same to the tank and a substantially inverted cone-shapedreception baffle having a delivery opening substantially at its apexarranged within said tank and receiving quantities of syrup and watertherein and delivering the same into said tank.

3. In a mixing apparatus, a mixing tank, means for delivering measuredquantities of syrup and water to said tank comprising a water chamberand a syrup chamber, each having a delivery opening therein and a rotaryvalve disposed between said tank and said chambers and having a watermeasuring cup and a syrup measuring cup adapted, during its rotation torespectively receive the water and syrup fromvsaid chamber and deliverthe same to the top of said tank, a rotary cup mounted Within said tankand receiving said water andsyrup as it is delivered in said tank andstationary bailles projecting into said cup for mixing the water andsyrup as the cup is rotated in said tank.

4. In a mixing apparatus, a mixing tank, a syrup receiving chamber and aWater receiving chamber mounted above said tank, a rotary valve disposedbetween said tank and said chambers and having a syrup cup and a watercup therein arranged to receive, respectively, during the rotation ofsaid valve, quantities of syrup and quantities of water and deliver thesame to the top of said tank, a paddle rotatably mounted in said tankand rotating on a vertical axis and a baffle disc arranged in said tankabove said paddle upon which said syrup is adapted to be discharged asit is delivered to said tank.

5. In a mixing apparatus, a mixing tank having an agitating paddlerotating therein on a vertical axis, a water receiving chamber and asyrup receiving chamber mounted above said tank, a rotary valve disposedbetween said chambers and the top of said tank having a water receivingcup and a syrup receiving cup adapted to receive Water and syrup fromsaid chambers and deliver the same to said tank, an inverted conedisposed beneath the delivery points of said valve and having a deliveryopening substantially at the apex thereof, a rotary cup rotating withsaid agitator disposed above said agitator and adapted to receive thewater and syrup from said cone, and a iiow disc mounted between said cupand said agitator and adapted to receive the water and syrup from saidcup and direct the same toward the sides of said tank.

6. In a mixing apparatus, a mixing tank, a water receiving chamber andasyrup receiving chamber mounted above said tank, a rotary valve disposedbetween said chambers and the top of said tank having a Water receivingcup and a syrup receiving cup adapted, respectively, to receive waterand syrup from said chambers and deliver the same to said tank, andmeans for delivering syrup and water to said respective syrup and waterreceiving chambers.

7. In a mixing apparatus, a mixing tank, a water receiving chamber and asyrup receiving chamber mounted above said tank, a rotary valve disposedbetween said chambers and the top of said tank having a Water receivingcup and a syrup receiving cup adapted, respectively, to receive waterand syrup from said chambers and deliver the same to said tank, and arotary cup`

